Dauchy, R. T. 2023. Vivarium lighting and the new measurement metrics. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(6) (November/December), 16-18.

In February 2023, a workshop entitled The 3rd International Workshop on Circadian and Neurophysiological Photometry was held in Manchester, UK to address the problem of light measurement in laboratory animal research. This workshop resulted in a consensus view of an expert working group, with expertise spanning mammalian photobiology, neurobiology and animal husbandry and welfare. It was concluded that the best available approach to quantify light for research animals is a species-specific α-opic lux metrology for use in animal husbandry and experimentation. The α-opic lux measure takes into account the spectral sensitivity of all the retinal photoreceptors and photopigments of the eye involved with both the visual and non-visual systems associated with neuroendocrine and neurobehavioral circadian rhythm regulation.